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Osvaldo Altobello
Don Osvaldo "Ozzie" Altobello was a member of the Mafia in New York City and an old friend of the Corleone family. Biography Altobello was an old friend of Vito Corleone. He became godfather to Vito's daughter Connie during Prohibition. He became the consigliere of the Tattaglia family, and he succeeded Rico Tattaglia as Don in 1962. Altobello's ascension to the position of Don was considered surprising by many, as one of the Tattaglia family's numerous pimps or hoodlums were expected to take the position of power. As soon as he became Don, Altobello made his family a strong ally of the Corleones, leaving them without an enemy on the Commission, save for the Barzini family Don, Paul Fortunato, who later conceded. He was seen as an 'olive branch' extended towards the Corleones. At a Commission meeting in 1963, Altobello vouched for Publio Santini to join Frank Greco's crime family. Altobello was also successful as he lacked the vices of Don Phillip Tattaglia, whose distracted interest with women helped bring about his death in 1955. He was closely affiliated with the Sicilian Mafia and acted as a liaison between the families of New York and Palermo. Altobello and Michael Altobello remained a close ally of Michael Corleone well into the 1970s. He even donated one million dollars so he could be a part of the Vito Corleone Foundation. However, by this point, whether out of bitterness for Michael's attempt to disappear into the legitimate world, or by greed, Altobello allied himself with Licio Lucchesi, chairman of Immobiliare and a powerful and influential Italian political figure. The Immobiliare Plot Michael became suspicious of Altobello's motives after Joey Zasa, the family's chief rival, orchestrated an assassination attempt on Michael that ended up killing many members of the Commission, but sparing Altobello, because he had left to follow Joey Zasa. Michael then instructs his nephew Vincent to go to Altobello and pledge his allegiance to him, without promising to betray Michael. Night at the Opera While in Sicily, Altobello enlists the services of his old friend, the famous assassin Mosca of Montelepre and conspires to kill Michael at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo when Anthony Corleone was set to debut in Cavalleria rusticana. Knowing that Michael still had some respect for Don Altobello, Connie gave him a batch of poisoned cannoli's as a present for his 80th birthday. Altobello indulges in them while sitting alone in his box at the opera house. Equipped with opera glasses, Connie spots Altobello succumbing to the poison, and sheds a tear over her dead godfather. Personality and traits Even though Don Altobello appeared to be a befuddled old man with a cane, in reality he was a Machiavellian schemer who was much more lucid and aware than he gave on. He was a very clever and talented man as Don Tommasino once said, respected by both the older and younger mafiosi as a peacemaker. Behind the scenes The Godfather Part III portrays Altobello as an old friend of the Corleone family and does not provide details on his role within the Mafia, while The Godfather Returns describes him as the Don of the Tattaglia family. Notes and references Altobello, Osvaldo Altobello, Osvaldo Altobello, Osvaldo Altobello, Osvaldo